Hard work on bassoon pays Hanson rewards

Paul Hanson had a pretty nifty gig. For four years, he was a musical mainstay in Japan. “I was living the life of an American expatriate with a corporate apartment, a really good gig and all the benefits,” Hanson said.It was on a short vacation in Guam when the 8.9 earthquake and tsunami hit.So much for that nifty gig.“My daughter, Isabella, was in a pool and said, ‘I think there’s an earthquake,’” Hanson recalled. “I went upstairs to the TV and I’m looking at a huge wave hitting the shore, sirens and everyone evacuation. There were so many aftershocks. It was very bizarre.”The Berkeley-raised Hanson, his wife and two kids returned to Northern California, ending up in American Canyon where the stellar bassoon players remains.The peace and quiet of the town suits Hanson just fine.“It’s a very diverse community and the schools are fantastic,” Hanson said. “And it’s not far from everywhere at the edge of the suburbs.”Though Hanson plays throughout the world, his commute is only a few notes to his gig next Sunday when he and his quintet travel to the Bay Terrace Theatre on behalf of the Vallejo Jazz Society.And that makes VJS co-founder and musician Bryan Girard one happy fellow.“The guy’s a genius,” Girard said of Hanson. Hanson’s versatility keeps him busy, from his time with Bela and the Flecktones, to performing or recording with Wayne Shorter, Bob Weir’s Ratdog, Ray Charles, Charlie Hunter, Cirque Du Soleil, The Oakland Eastbay Symphony Orchestra and Napa Symphony Orchestra. Hanson’s also adept at saxophone, recording or performing with, among many others, Eddie Money, Boz Scaggs, The Temptations, and Tower of Power. He was also the first bassoonist to with the Grand Prize of JAZZIS Magazine’s Woodwinds on Fire Award and also claiming top spot in the Robert Mondavi Woodwind concerto competition.“He’s one of the most remarkable artists I’ve ever heard,” Girard said.When Hanson’s not doing the quintet thing, he’s teaching or playing with a handful of other groups, including his own latest concoction, “Oon,” a duo with Ariane Cap.“I have a lot of things going on,” Hanson said. “I’m enjoying that part of being in this country again.”Hanson praised Cap for her “unique style” on bass.“What I do is non-traditional for bassoon and when you combine the two, it works,” Hanson said. As for the quintet, “they’re all good musicians. You never know what’s going to happen. It’s music making with some creative people.”The bassoon becoming Hanson’s instrument-of-choice is still baffling, the musician said.“Sometimes, I wonder myself how and why that happened,” said Hanson, whose dad was a high school music teacher. Hanson picked up the instrument in 10th grade.“It sounded unique and cool,” he said. “I ended up loving the instrument. It has great range.”Even as a premiere player, one is only as good as his practice time, Hanson said.“If you don’t put time in, you won’t get anything out of it,” he said.